Luka Magnotta loses lawyer to potential confict of interest

What an unbearable burden it must be to defend in court a man suspected of murder and dismemberment, whether they are guilty or otherwise. What personal toll defence lawyers must put themselves through every day.

Not to mention the international attention carried a case as public as the Luka Magnotta murder trial, in which the notorious suspect is said to have decapitated Montreal student Jun Lin on video, and sent pieces of his body to political party offices in Ottawa.

Defence lawyer Raphael Feldstein removed himself from the trial on Wednesday, citing a conflict of interest. CBC News reports that Luc Leclerc, the defence's lead counsel, broke down in tears as he announced his colleague’s recusal.

[ Related: Luka Magnotta's hearing continues, 1 lawyer short ]

A court-ordered publication ban limits what can be said about the apparent conflict of interest, but it will not lead to a delay in the trial.

The defence said it was in the best interest of the case to move forward. Feldstein told the Montreal Gazette outside court that he did not want to hinder the proceedings.

“I think our justice system is under scrutiny by the international press,” he told the newspaper.

The National Post's Christie Blatchford points out that prosecutor Louis Bouthillier praised Feldstein for his ethical behaviour. She noted that Leclerc, while previously arguing for an extended publication ban, mentioned he has received hate mail from the public.

[ More Brew: Judge rejects excessive publication ban at Magnotta hearing ]

Defence lawyers are too often demonized for the perceived sins of their clients. Lending a voice to the accused is a central part of a fair justice system. And while we will not know why Feldstein felt he should drop the case, those details can be published only once the trial ends, the emotion from the courtroom speaks volumes.